Lowering the speed limit on 30A?

[Matt J]

That stinks that the guy was going that slow. Nice that he pulled over asap though.

Not sure who local purveyors are, but if you google LSV, you'll find many many new corporations being formed, and some old ones tackling the concept. The Sierra Club (fairly well respected I think) supports the LSV, as do 48 State legislatures, but not sure who the local culprit is, exactly - but I plan on paying them a visit soon, to pull down a Tax Credit on one of these asap.

You're missing the point. We have no problems with LSV's within their respective communities such as Rosemary Beach, Seacrest Beach, Alys Beach, or any other community. However, once you start referring to the entirety of 30A as one long resort community you are wrong.

Some friends of ours had an LSV for a while and hated it. It never went fast enough, it never went the speed limit, it randomly lost it's charge, and it was unusable in the rain. They sold it and bought a Jeep.

 

[robertsondavies]

You're missing the point. We have no problems with LSV's within their respective communities such as Rosemary Beach, Seacrest Beach, Alys Beach, or any other community. However, once you start referring to the entirety of 30A as one long resort community you are wrong.

Some friends of ours had an LSV for a while and hated it. It never went fast enough, it never went the speed limit, it randomly lost it's charge, and it was unusable in the rain. They sold it and bought a Jeep.

OK, sorry for your friends bad LSV. Chrysler is glad to hear you bought a Jeep, and that's fine. Sorry it ran bad. You're missing my (and others above) point about "one long resort", I disagree with your assertion that Rosemary, Seacrest etc, are their OWN communties. On its face, you appear so obviously correct because they are separate "towns" PUDs....but real people don't live inside the pages of PUD brochures, despite the imagery to the contrary.
I'll make the assertion that I don't think that's how 30A functions at all. Quite the opposite. People in Seacrest eat out at Red Bar, and get groceries in Seagrove, and folks in Watercolor, don't eat all their meals at Fish out of Water... (do they? please correct me if I'm wrong here) they eat some at Onano, and Cafe 30A, Bud & Alleys etc. etc....and their fish market is Goatfeathers if they're cooking in, and Yellowfin perhaps if they're a fishin for themselves... no matter what PUD community they're in... No one PUD in SoWal provides nearly enough to hold anyone but Truman's attention for more than a few hours. Sorry to have to dispel that notion that you may hold. You see, folks are leaving their "community" several times a day to get the paper, get tackle, or rent a kayak, or eat out, or get groceries, or take in some music, to exercise, to make pottery... In other words, South Walton is the community in that sense that people DON'T confine their living to their PUD or "on paper" community. Sorry, that's just the thruth, and the truth don't change to fit your view on not allowing LSV's to have the last couple miles of 30A to make it cohesive and attractive for folks to have LSV's in the first place in South Walton.

As someone pointed out bravely above, the very existence of Kurt's website is evidence that at least some, ok most, don't limit their cyber interactions to their less than square mile PUD town - sorry.

 

[robertsondavies]

Now, having said, I will never support LSV's that are too slow (i.e. can't go at least high 30MPH etc), or ones that are driven recklessly, with 4 year olds tied to the hood, and a cat driving the damn thing etc... send those folks to jail, the same way you'd send the Meth head/drunk/teen driving their Suburban down 30A to jail - j"accord completement.

My views supporting enhancing 30A's 3 non-LSV's compliant miles, to make them LSV usable are still intact, but I view 30A as even MORE congested over the next 30 years, (i.e. more Seaside like stop signs etc), not less, so going 30MPH is going to be the norm anyway.

Aside from my support of proper and considerate Electric Neighborhood Elec. Vehicle usage, I would be an even stronger proponent of a TROLLEY of some sort on 30A, that runs up and down 30A from noon to midnight- I think that's something we all can agree on, its just a funding question - It sucks that it wouldn't apparently be self sustaining business.

Let's move this discussion away from the LSV discussion, and let's really think about what South Walton means as far being a Community. Is South Walton not a community? Is it simply a loose association of separate, distinct, contained, and proximate communities whose relationship with each other is geographic more than relational. Is this one "long" community as some assert? Is it not? Let's ellicit some answers from all over the different planned and unplanned developments along 30A through this website, shall we?

 

[Geo]

Agreed that it is the norm to move about 30a with destinations in multiple beachtowns on any given day. But I still agree with what I believe was the underlying point- that the street legal golf carts make more sense within one resort area or beachtown (e.g. Seaside, Rosemary, etc) than they do making a trip from my place near Ed Walline to Red Bar.

 

[John R]

Back to my point regarding distractions; I was distracted yesterday by the sight of two girls on one of the rental scooters cruising at speed on the sidewalk of 30A at Live Oak. Adding more non impact rated, doorless, without internal rollcage vehicles to the mix has me scratching my head.

Let's face it, an LSV is a sooped up golf cart, designed, imho, as a convenience vehicle to navigate on the street to the grocery store, etc and not be backing up the traffic. I don't believe they are intended to be used as a primary means of transport, and someone traveling the length of 30A requires a lot more than an LSV is able to provide. I wouldn't want to be in one for the roundtrip of Rosemary beach to the Red Bar and back, but that's just me.

 

[Matt J]

Saw one running through a 45 MPH area today and then saw one on the bike path. Final one tonight was literally crawling through WaterColor with dim headlights and going about 2MPH.

 

[30A Skunkape]

BUSTED!!!

We were heading west on 30-A today. Leaving Watercolor, we could see a bunch of cars on the Western Lake segment ahead along with flashing police lights. At first I thought there was a wreck, but then as we got closer it became clear as to what was going on. A golf cart was leading a line of no less than 20, and probably more like 30 cars eastbound on 30-A. Lord only knows how long that cart was on the highway. Anyway, the cop had his lights flashing in hot pursuit;cars pulled over to let him through until he was tail-grabbin that golf cart:funn:

I saw the cart turn into the first drive in Watercolor to surrender and just couldn't let it go without a photo for funn's sake. Do you know these lost golfers? I hope they get no 'mulligan' from the deputy and get the book thrown at them

 

[nr light]

I like your new profile image there, rdavies.

its a shame that a couple geese screw things up for the whole gander sometimes. But does that mean we should eliminate the possibility of change based on a select few? There are bad drivers. (lets eliminate cars!) There are drunk drivers (lets eliminate booze!) There's inconsiderate bikers (lets eliminate bikes!) No, this is not how things work. We are supposed to consider what is best for a community and then figure out how to make it work. It is so disappointing to see so many closed-minded individuals when there are so many opportunities out there.

Someone made a point earlier that I don't live out on 30a. They insinuate that I don't UNDERSTAND what its like to have these little carts buzzing around the community and in traffic. Pssh! I live in Crystal Beach! I live off scenic 98! These carts are cruising all over the place! You drive for 5 minutes and I'll bet you'll count at least 10. And you know what? I love it. I drive on scenic 98 because I know I am going to go slower. I know that people are going to be looking at the beach, the condos, the bikini's...and I EXPECT it. I choose to take that road to work for many of the same reasons. Its a shame when people act stupid on those things, I agree. I want to yell out my window at them to behave, but there are a lot of home owners who use them too and use them right.

I know saying anything at all is probably pointless. Perhaps this topic has reached a dead end. But in respect to those FOR and to those AGAINST LSV's on the road, I am so glad to see a discussion about it. We need to take this discussion further. Lets discuss what is working and what we are willing to make work. Instead of "no no no I don't like change or being inconvenienced" lets discuss what we ARE willing to live with. (Because truth of the matter is, these things are legal, they are out there, and we will be living with them.)

 

[robertsondavies]

I like your new profile image there, rdavies.

its a shame that a couple geese screw things up for the whole gander sometimes. But does that mean we should eliminate the possibility of change based on a select few? There are bad drivers. (lets eliminate cars!) There are drunk drivers (lets eliminate booze!) There's inconsiderate bikers (lets eliminate bikes!) No, this is not how things work. We are supposed to consider what is best for a community and then figure out how to make it work. It is so disappointing to see so many closed-minded individuals when there are so many opportunities out there.

Someone made a point earlier that I don't live out on 30a. They insinuate that I don't UNDERSTAND what its like to have these little carts buzzing around the community and in traffic. Pssh! I live in Crystal Beach! I live off scenic 98! These carts are cruising all over the place! You drive for 5 minutes and I'll bet you'll count at least 10. And you know what? I love it. I drive on scenic 98 because I know I am going to go slower. I know that people are going to be looking at the beach, the condos, the bikini's...and I EXPECT it. I choose to take that road to work for many of the same reasons. Its a shame when people act stupid on those things, I agree. I want to yell out my window at them to behave, but there are a lot of home owners who use them too and use them right.

I know saying anything at all is probably pointless. Perhaps this topic has reached a dead end. But in respect to those FOR and to those AGAINST LSV's on the road, I am so glad to see a discussion about it. We need to take this discussion further. Lets discuss what is working and what we are willing to make work. Instead of "no no no I don't like change or being inconvenienced" lets discuss what we ARE willing to live with. (Because truth of the matter is, these things are legal, they are out there, and we will be living with them.)

Thanks, obviously I happen to agree with your overarching point, but also am happy to see more people like yourself supportive of the DISCUSSION that ought to be happening here - I'm now highly interested in shifting the discussion to what another posted pointed out above - that SoWal, as a community portal itself, is evidence that 30A is in ACTUALITY a real community, not a collection of co-existent independent Planned Unit Developments - It's a topic worthy of an even lengthier string than this one, and it encompasses the LSV discussion within it as one component.

 

[robertsondavies]

Agreed that it is the norm to move about 30a with destinations in multiple beachtowns on any given day. But I still agree with what I believe was the underlying point- that the street legal golf carts make more sense within one resort area or beachtown (e.g. Seaside, Rosemary, etc) than they do making a trip from my place near Ed Walline to Red Bar.

GEO, I can appreciate that Ed Walline to Red Bar is probably a bit far for a bare bones, barely compliant LSV. I don't mind a bit of excitement myself, I may give it a run, if I had one that went at least 30MPH... but that's me. Others like yourself might want a kick ass purpose built $15,000 LSV to make that run. Fair enough though - you make your point, and appreciate your response to my question about how 30A actually functions, despite your prefernce that folks get around and run errands with full size vehicles.